PLUS – TOO Group Now Open to the Public; Y Waives Join Fee During Healthy Families Week Beginning April 29th

[Wabash Valley 4/2019]—On Saturday, May 4ththe YMCA of the Wabash Valley is holding a free community event at the Clay and Vigo County facilities to inspire more kids to keep their minds and bodies active. The annual YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day is the Y’s national initiative to improve health and well-being for kids and families.

Healthy Kids Day is an opportunity to ignite children’s imaginations so that they can imagine what they’ll accomplish this summer. The event features activities, games, healthy snacks, arts and crafts, vendor sponsored activities from Terre Haute Mobile Recreation Unit, Union Hospital, Griffin Bike Park, and others to motivate and teach families how to develop and maintain healthy routines at home throughout the summer months.

Healthy Kids Day, celebrated at over 1,500 Ys across the country by over one million participants, works to get more kids moving and learning, creating habits that they continue all summer long. When kids are out of school, they can face hurdles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Research shows that without access to out-of-school learning activities, kids fall behind academically. Kids also gain weight twice as fast during summer than the school year. As spring turns to summer, Healthy Kids Day is a powerful reminder not to let children idle away their summer days. Instead, the Y wants families to focus on helping children imagine what they can accomplish over the summer.

“When a child is healthy, happy, and supported they can make great things happen,” says Ali Weber, Assistant Director of Youth and Family Services at Vigo County YMCA. “We believe in the potential of all children, and we strive to help kids find that potential within themselves. A child’s development is never on vacation and Healthy Kids Day is a great opportunity to educate families and motivate kids to stay active in spirit, mind and body throughout the summer.”

Keeping Kids Healthy All Summer Long

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits this summer that can have a lifetime effect:

High Five the Fruits and Veggies– Make sure kids get at least five servings of fruits and veggies each day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend for healthy childhood development. And to keep kids’ taste buds evolving, have everyone in the family try at least one bite of a new fruit or vegetable at least once a month.

Read Together – The summer is a great time to enjoy books with summer program participants—and 30 minutes a day goes a long way! Take trips to the local library or create a family reading challenge to see who can log the most minutes of reading. Encourage youth to create their own stories as well.

Get Moving! – Activities that require movement also help kids flex their mental muscle. Use materials in unique ways: ask youth to build models, manipulate tools or develop their own theatrical scenes.

Play Together – Play may be the best way to prevent childhood obesity. By putting more play into your family’s day, you will soon find yourself getting the activity that will have your family feeling energized and strong.

Make sleep a priority– Doctors recommend 10-12 hours of sleep a day for children ages 5-12 and 7-8 hours per night for adults. Sleep plays a critical role in maintaining our healthy immune system, metabolism, mood, memory, and learning.

The YMCA of the Wabash Valley’s Healthy Kids Day takes place atthe Clay County YMCA in Brazil and Vigo County YMCA in Terre Haute from 10:00am-2:00pm on Saturday, May 4thand features healthy snacks, fun, active play, summer camp specials and educational activities. Registration is currently open for YMCA day camp at www.ymcaswv.org. Healthy Kids Day in the Wabash Valley is sponsored by BRITT AERO.

Healthy Families Week

The week of April 29ththe YMCA of the Wabash Valley is celebrating healthy living by waiving the $50 join fee of all new or returning members. Members of the YMCA have the opportunity to take part in fitness and wellness at both the Clay and Vigo County branches, as well as aquatics at Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

TOO (Taking On Obesity) Group Now Open to Public

The Vigo County YMCA TOO (Taking On Obesity) Group is now allowing community members who are not members of the YMCA the opportunity to take part in this life-changing program. For just $20, participants can join the group that educates about healthy eating, fitness and exercise as well as provide support as members make positive lifestyle changes that last. This group is free offering to members of the YMCA.

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About the YMCA of the Wabash Valley

The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits, strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. In the Wabash Valley, the Clay County and Vigo County YMCAs serve over 7,000 men, women and children, and provide opportunities through the annual campaign to give back and support neighbors. The YMCAs have the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. For more information visit www.ymcaswv.org.